Ahava Leibtag , Principal at Aha Media Group, challenges us to channel our inner Steve Jobs and “focus on the pocket.”
Challenges The Content World’s Facing
- Challenge #1: Is quality content out there?
- As the web has grown and everyone can be a publisher, demands on content professionals have grown dramatically
- Tons of content out there now; not all of it is useful, usable
- Challenge #2: Is the content we’re producing strategic?
- Oreo’s infamous Superbowl tweet
- Did it actually contribute to sales?
- Arby’s and Pharrel’s hat
- Cute, clever – but did it do anything?
- Oreo’s infamous Superbowl tweet
- Challenge #3: Making sense of, and using, traditional marketing tools
Content Strategy’s Core Model
Old (incomplete):
- Align with business objectives
- Support users in accomplishing tasks
New:
- Align with business objectives
- Support users in accomplishing tasks
- Find the why
A Lesson from Apple and Steve Jobs
- In introducing the iPod, didn’t go “feature dumping” on gigabytes and sleek design
- “1,000 songs in your pocket”
- Steve Jobs taps into the benefits to you
The Golden Circle
- Simon Sinek – Start with Why
- Why surronded by how surrounded by what
- Emotional doorway into making our content great
3 Parts of the Human Brain
- Reptilian: body temp, breathing, etc.
- Midbrain and hindbrain: limbic system, decision making, drives human behavior, no capacity for language
- Neocortex: rational and analytics, language center
The Rally Cry
- Build from the inside out and create content that move people
- Start with the why, the emotion
Inspiration Marketing
- “Financial services for the rest of us”
- Huh? What does that mean?
- Carbonite: “Pursue your passion. We’ll protect it.”
- Not leading with features, starting with an emotional hook
- Time: “Help us tell stories that make a difference”
- Use content to guide people through a decision
- Need
- Awareness
- Engagement
- Decision
- Unconscious incompetence <–> consicous incompetence <–> conscious competence <–> unconscious competence
Content Strategy
3 Parts of Content Strategy
- External messaging: answer the 5 essential questions
- To whom are you talking?
- Who are you?
- What are you trying to say?
- How do you say it?
- Where and when do you say it?
- Internal workflow: how do we create a repeatable, sustainable content lifecycle?
- Plan
- Create
- Publish
- Distribute
- Analyze
- Govern
- Technological delivery of content: how do we control display and delivery of content?
- XML
- DITA
- Metadata
- Structured content
- Adaptive content
- Content modeling
Editorial Toolkit
- To whom are you speaking
- Personas
- Starbucks uses data to build their personas
- Not interested in 24 YO in Manhattan – where do people go? why?
- User journey maps
- Amazon leaves empty chair in meetings to represent the customer
- Personas
- Who are you?
- Brand pillars
- Brands have 4
- Are they the 4 you want?
- Evaluate 4 current identity pillars and determine what you want your future identity pillars to be
- Brands have 4
- Brand pillars
- What are you trying to say?
- Messaging architecture
- MA shows current content pillars, future content pillars, articulation statement, and messaging
- Articulate how you will move from current to future pillar
- Messaging: without facts, content is flabby
- Messaging architecture
- How do you say it?
- Voice and tone
- Example: Nordstrom Rack
- Dressing room hooks
- Love it.
- Um, not sure.
- Notice: there’s no “No way in hell” option. (They want you to walk out with something!)
- “Don’t steal. It’s bad karma. Plus, shoplifters will be prosecuted.”
- Dressing room hooks
- Where and when do you say it?
- Editorial calendar
Defining Content Marketing
- Content marketing builds relationships
- Content strategy builds the conversations that build those relationships
Goals of Content Marketing
- Attract
- Acquire
- Engage or connect
- Drive profitable action
- Sales happen when you’ve earned someone’s trust
The Why
Find the why and shout it from the rooftops
- Caterpillar – Jenga Trial
- Phillips – Explore lighting by room tool
- DocuSign landing page – taking the pain out of paperwork
- Farmers Insurance – interactive tool to find out how to protect your home (e.g., winter weather checklist)
- Facebook employee handbook (red book) – “If we don’t create the thing that kills Facebook, someone else will.”
Our Role
Teach people. Guide them.